## Helping Hands Ministries ## Annual Trustees Report For the financial year January 1[st] 2022 to December 31[st] 2022 – Registered Charity in Northern Ireland Charity Number 1029266 ## **1.0 Introduction** The trustees of Helping Hands ministries are pleased to submit their report and accounts for the financial year January 1[st] 2022 to December 31[st] 2022. The charity was officially registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland on November 17[th] 2015 so this is the Seventh annual report of this kind produced by the charity. ## **2.0 Activities and Achievements** ## **2.1. Raising awareness and funding in Northern Ireland** Over the past financial year, despite ongoing restrictions we have continued to strengthen existing links with many churches, schools and other organisations and groups in Northern Ireland as well as forging new ones, mostly done through virtual talks, emails and social media. This has enabled us to inform people of what life is like for many of those who are less well off in Romania; explain to them how they can help through direct financial aid but also through donation of items, prayers and using their gifts and talents; and finally, keep them up to date with the impact they are making on people’s lives through their generous contributions and efforts. ## **2.2 Pastor Cristi.** In late February a gift of €500 was sent to Pastor Cristi to help him supply essential items and train tickets to transport Ukrainian families from the border. During the summer a gift of £1000 from Castlereagh Fellowship was sent to Good Shepherd Church ( Pastor Cristi’s church). Also €1000 was sent to help fund 10 children to summer camp. ## **2.3 Coffee Morning** A coffee morning held in September raised over £2300. Monies were used for medical supplies for CEF Romania for delivery to Ukrainian refugees and also for the kids work in Fratositsia. ## **2.4 Romania.** In June a number of pallets of supplies were sent to Romania CEF for distribution in Ukraine. In October David visited Pastor Cristi / Pastor Nico and Adina to get an update and any future vision they may have. ## **2.5 Adina & Lavina`** A monetary gift was sent to Adina and Lavina for Christmas gifts. ## **2.6 Medical Supplies.** Throughout the year various consignments of medical supplies were sent to mission organisations. These supplies were put to good use and very much appreciated by the workers in these needy countries. ## **3.0 Financial Review** For the financial year 1[st] January 2022 to December 31[st] 2022 the accounts had an excess of income over expenditure of £1091.67 For more details of our accounts information for this year please refer to the accounts and independent examiner’s report prepared alongside this report. ## **4.0 Reference and Administrative Details** ## **4.1 Charity Name** The Charity is officially registered as and known as Helping Hands Ministries. ## **4.2 Charity Number** Registered Charity in Northern Ireland number 102926 ## **4.3 Principal Address** Mr David Baxter, 68 Dunnalong Road, Bready, Strabane, County Tyrone, BT820DW ## **4.4 Charity Trustees as of January 1[st] 2022** Mr David Baxter Chairman Mrs Christine Holmes Treasurer Dr Richard Baxter Mr Oscar Spence ## **4.5 Other Charity Trustees in the year to December 31[st] 2022** No new trustees were appointed in the year 2022. ## **5.0 Structure Governance and Management** ## **5.1 Governing Document and Constitution** Helping Hands ministries is governed by a constitution adopted on its date of registration, November 17[th] , 2015 and which had not undergone any amendments by the end of 2022. The details of which are available on the charity commission website at http://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/charitydetails/?regid=102926&subi d=0 The Charity is run by its board of trustees which as of December 31[st ] 2022 consists of 4 persons detailed in section 4.4 of this report. ## **5.2 Trustee Selection and Management** The charity is run by its board of trustees who meet as required given the small size of the charity, the distance over which it operates and the variation in the length of the projects it undertakes. The decision as to when the trustees will meet is usually undertaken at the previous meeting and is often scheduled after trips to Romania or large events to enable timely and relevant reporting of activities however meetings may also be arranged on an ad hoc basis if unexpected developments arise. There are usually around three meetings per year. Any appointment of trustees is decided by the board as required by majority vote. ## **6.0 Objectives and Activities** ## **6.1 Charitable Objects** The object of Helping Hands ministries is to relieve and prevent poverty and do so by bringing helping hands humanitarian aid to various recognised areas of need and disadvantage in Romania and support the educational system through school attendance. We do so by forging links with churches and youth organisations both in Northern Ireland and in Romania so that we might further the Christian faith through its practical outworking of bringing aid to those in need. Our charitable purposes under Northern Ireland charity law are the following: - the prevention or relief of poverty - the advancement of education - the advancement of citizenship or community development ## **6.2 Public Benefit Statement** The Trustees of Helping Hands Ministries can confirm that they have complied with their statutory duty to have regard for the Charity Commission’s guidance on the public benefit requirement of charities and this has informed all the actions and decisions undertaken by Helping Hands Ministries. In evaluating public benefit the trustees note that much of the aid we deliver is distributed through local churches in Romania as they are in a better position to effectively distribute aid on a week to week basis than a group based in Northern Ireland. Moreover this method of distribution is an effective method of ensuring that the aid provided is associated with the Christian faith in line with our charitable purposes and objectives. However with this in mind we ensure that the youth groups and activities that we support through the churches and facilities that we help provide are to be available and open not just to church members but to all members of the local community. Furthermore we also help support outreach that is specifically aimed at those in the communities who are not members of the local churches. We do occasionally limit access to certain projects but only where appropriate for the nature of the project for example we invited only pastors and church workers to the pastors’ conference because we felt they were a group that particularly needed support as they don’t have many of the conferences in Romania that they would here and the nature of the talks was thus aimed specifically to be of benefit to them and the benefit to the wider populace could come in turn through them in supporting and further equipping them for their work and fostering the community relations. Similarly youth or children’s events are limited to specific age groups because the nature of the activities and materials are tailored to that age group and more importantly for child protection. We also make a point of trying to work with multiple villages in need in that area of Romania rather than just focussing on one to attempt to ensure that the support we provide reaches those most in need and not just one specific group. 7.0 Si natures